Peruvian legislators approved the country’s new water law after eight years of debate, congress reported in a release. Under the new law, water is guaranteed as a human right and cannot be bought and used as private property. While the private sector can take part in the handling of hydrological resources, the bill rules out the possibility of privatizing water and sets priorities to ensure more efficient use of resources.

The proposal calls for the creation of a national water authority and establishes responsibilities for hydrological resources, including which entity will be responsible for water used in irrigation. The Peruvian agriculture sector has gone on a number of strikes over the past few years due to fears that water for irrigation will be privatized. Authorities and legislators have assured them this is not the case, and therefore their production costs will not be subject to increases as a result.

The new water law is expected to increase wastewater and industrial wastewater treatment control measures, and to increase the control over water used in industrial processes, improving the country’s environmental standards.

Related news: Peru: President García passes bill to create Environment Ministry, Source Weekly, 10 Jun 2008

Source: BNamericas, 13 Mar 2009 ; BNamericas, 03 Mar 2009

Tags: latin america & caribbean, policies & legislation, water resources management